System, apparatus, and method for powering a bipolar energy controller

Abstract

A power device is configured couple to an electrosurgical generator (410). The power device includes at least one connector (420, 422, 423, 510, 511), a rectifier (113), an energy storage device (115), and a bipolar energy controller (101). The at least one connector (420, 422, 423, 510, 511) is configured to couple to the electrosurgical generator (410) and receive electrosurgical energy. The rectifier (113) is configured to rectify at least a portion of the electrosurgical energy and provide rectified energy. The energy storage device (115) is configured to store at least a portion of the rectified energy. The bipolar energy controller (101) is configured to be powered by the energy storage device (115) and to control providing of an output bipolar energy.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A power device configured to couple to an electrosurgical generator, the device comprising:
 at least one connector configured to couple to and receive an electrosurgical energy from an electrosurgical generator; 
 a rectifier configured to electrically couple to the at least one connector and to provide a rectified energy based on at least a portion of the electrosurgical energy; 
 an energy storage device configured to store at least a portion of the rectified energy; 
 a controller configured to be powered by the energy storage device and to control providing of an output bipolar energy; and 
 a switch electrically coupled to the at least one connector and the rectifier, the at least one connector including a monopolar connector and a bipolar connector, wherein the switch is configured to toggle between a monopolar position in which the switch couples the rectifier to the monopolar connector and a bipolar position in which the switch couples the rectifier to the bipolar connector, 
 wherein the controller operates the switch to toggle to the bipolar position based on an amount of energy stored in the energy storage device. 
 
     
     
       2. The power device according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical generator includes bipolar energy. 
     
     
       3. The power device according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to control the output bipolar energy to have at least one characteristic different from the bipolar energy of the electrosurgical energy. 
     
     
       4. The power device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller operates the switch to be in the monopolar position when the least one connector first receives the electrosurgical energy. 
     
     
       5. The power device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller operates the switch to toggle to the bipolar position when an amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is greater than a threshold. 
     
     
       6. The power device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller operates the switch to toggle to the monopolar position when the amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is less than a threshold. 
     
     
       7. The power device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller operates the switch to toggle to the bipolar position after the switch has been in the monopolar position for a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
       8. The power device according to  claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device receives and stores at least a portion of the electrosurgical energy when the switch is in the bipolar position. 
     
     
       9. The power device according to  claim 3 , wherein the controller is coupled to the at least one connector and determines at least one of a frequency or an amplitude of the bipolar energy of the electrosurgical energy. 
     
     
       10. A method of controlling an electrosurgical generator, the method comprising:
 receiving monopolar energy from an electrosurgical generator; 
 rectifying at least a portion of the monopolar energy to provide a rectified energy; 
 charging an energy storage device with at least a portion of the rectified energy; 
 detecting bipolar energy from the electrosurgical generator; 
 powering a controller using the energy storage device, the controller configured to control an output bipolar energy that has at least one characteristic different from the bipolar energy; 
 receiving at least a portion of the bipolar energy from the electrosurgical generator at the energy storage device; 
 rectifying at least a portion of the bipolar energy; 
 switching between rectifying at least a portion of the monopolar energy and rectifying at least a portion of the bipolar energy; and 
 switching to rectifying at least a portion of the bipolar energy when an energy stored on the energy storage device is greater than a threshold energy level. 
 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising charging the energy storage device with at least a portion of the bipolar energy. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising decreasing the monopolar energy to a stepped-down monopolar energy, wherein rectifying at least a portion of the monopolar energy includes rectifying the stepped-down monopolar energy to provide the rectified energy. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein detecting the bipolar energy includes detecting at least one of amplitude, phase, or frequency of the bipolar energy. 
     
     
       14. A method of controlling an electrosurgical generator, the method comprising:
 receiving monopolar energy from an electrosurgical generator; 
 rectifying at least a portion of the monopolar energy to provide a rectified energy; 
 charging an energy storage device with at least a portion of the rectified energy; 
 detecting bipolar energy from the electrosurgical generator; 
 powering a controller using the energy storage device, the controller configured to control an output bipolar energy that has at least one characteristic different from the bipolar energy; 
 receiving at least a portion of the bipolar energy from the electrosurgical generator at the energy storage device; 
 rectifying at least a portion of the bipolar energy; 
 switching between rectifying at least a portion of the monopolar energy and rectifying at least a portion of the bipolar energy; and 
 switching to rectifying at least a portion of the bipolar energy when rectifying at least a portion of the monopolar energy has occurred for a predetermined amount of time.